This invention relates to an assembly for the protection of individuals against the displacement of implanted catheters due to movement of the associated limb and, more particularly, to an assembly which immobilizes the tubing leading from an implanted catheter against movement of the limb into which the catheter is implanted.
When an individual, whether in a hospital or under home care, is required to have intravenous feeding, even casual movement of the arm or limb into which the catheter is positioned can cause discomfort when the catheter or the bandages are displaced due to the movement of the attached intravenous tubes and catheter. Such movement not only occurs when sleeping, but in working hours when the patient momentarily forgets. This situation is exacerbated in situation involving children and geriatric patients. Typical hospital practice calls for bandages to be wrapped around the catheter and the end of the tubing attached to the catheter to prevent displacement. This is entirely unsatisfactory since the leverage of the tubing extending some distance from the fluid reservoir is often sufficient to cause the catheter to be displaced or removed from its position entirely. This can be a dangerous situation in certain instances. Thus it is extremely desirable to provide some device which can minimize the anxiety and discomfort of patients caused by even the most casual and normally expected movements.